When highway 400 closed in both directions on Thursday, leaving thousands stranded, Bradford residents came to the rescue.
“My husband messaged me and asked if I could bring water,” says Bradford resident Susie Golzlin. “I made a post and the community of Bradford just stepped up.”
Several people responded to the Facebook post, doing what they could to bring food and supplies to people stranded in their cars.
“I had fresh legs, I had flashlights. Got out of bed and went,” says Bradford resident Amy Vryonides.
“I just grabbed my boys. We ran to Walmart, filled a cart and took off. We climbed the overpass through the grass, onto the road. It was crazy,” says another Bradford resident Andrea Flynn.
They found frustrated drivers, stuck in their vehicles, with nowhere to go for hours.
“In all of my time driving, I have never experienced such a mass of confusion,” says James McDonald, a driver who was stuck on the highway.
Some drivers left their cars on the side of the highway, where they remained Friday morning. Others stuck it out, despite no food, little gas, and hungry, restless children in the back.
“I just looked at my kids, and thought to myself ‘oh my god, what if there’s babies there, and they don’t have formula’. So I ran back in and found the formula,” says Bradford resident Debbie Rego.
“I had one lady actually cry, and I even cried with her, because she was so upset,” says Theresa Worthington from Bradford. “She had diabetes. I gave her lots of granola bars, and Nutri-grain bars, and said ‘here,fill-up.’”
Needless to say, the drivers were thankful for the deliveries and support.
“They were so grateful for what we were doing for them, that when I got home I felt emotional about the whole thing,” says Hart.
“Even bringing my kids, I wanted them to show that it’s nice to help people,” says Flynn.
The many residents who stepped up to help say they’re not looking for special recognition. They just wanted to help those in need, hoping others would do the same for them.
